Monthly Archives: May 2013

Post navigation

Bandai must believe that one good figure deserves another, because for the first time in Figuarts Zero history, they’re going to give us a second Battle Version of a One Piece Figuarts Zero figure! And what better character to get a second action-posed, dynamic figure than Luffy’s second-in-command and the man who lives to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman: Roronoa Zoro! Coming this fall from Bandai–Figuarts Zero One Piece Roronoa Zoro Rengoku Onigiri Battle Ver. 2!

Last weekend’s Spring MegaHobby Expo 2013 brought a flurry of MegaHouse One Piece Portrait of Pirates news and excitement, but amongst all of the new figures announced, only one was of an all-new character–and it’s a character many One Piece manga and anime fans thought would never get the premium figure format.

Coming to One Piece collectors’ homes in late 2013 or early 2014, it’s the first-ever One Piece P.O.P. Admiral Sengoku figure!

If you’re a fan of the One Piece manga and/or anime, you’ve probably heard of this character “Trafalgar Law” once or twice. See, though he’s not a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Trafalgar Law is sort of popular. As in “ridiculously, out-of-this-world, cult-like following” popular. Yeah, that’s Law. So when it was announced late last year that we’d been getting an all-new One Piece P.O.P. Sailing Again Trafalgar Law figure in his Punk Hazard clothes, it was kind of a big deal. And after much hype and many instant sell-outs, the latest MegaHouse One Piece Portrait of Pirates Trafalgar Law figure has arrived overseas…

Yesterday I previewed the upcoming 2013 One Piece P.O.P. Mihawk Hawkeye Version 2 figure, the brand-new update of the most serene Shichibukai and the World’s Greatest Swordsman. This new Portrait of Pirates Mihawk is coming our way in October 2013–but he won’t be coming alone!

Joining One Piece POP Dracule Mihawk Ver. 2 that month will be the man who’s sworn to usurp and overthrow Mihawk as the World’s Greatest Swordsman–it’s a much-demanded reissue of One Piece P.O.P. Sailing Again Roronoa Zoro!

If you’ve just started collecting the MegaHouse One Piece Portrait of Pirates figures in the last couple of years, you’ve probably noticed that certain figures are expensive. Like–really expensive. And one of the most expensive of all is the One Piece P.O.P. Hawkeye Mihawk figure. Originally released in 2009 and then reissued in 2010, the popularity of the One Piece POP Dracule Mihawk figure far outweighs the demand. But everyone needs a Hawkeye P.O.P. in their collection, and MegaHouse is about to make sure that that dream can become a reality–the all-new One Piece Portrait of Pirates Hawkeye Mihawk Version 2.0 figure is on the way!

At the 2013 Spring MegaHobby Expo, there were a lot of figures that I expected to see revealed. Of the figures I was expecting, the only ones that actually showed up were the One Piece Film Z P.O.P. Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro Edition-Z figures. Even so, my favorite figure shown at the MegaHobby Spring 2013 Expo wasn’t a new character or even a One Piece Z POP. No, the most exciting reveal of the show for my was the upcoming all-new One Piece Portrait of Pirates Princess Vivi Nefertari figure!

I’ve been waiting for today almost since the very first day that I launched this website–the first trio of One Piece Z Figuarts Zero figures of the Straw Hats Battle Clothes was released in Japan today! This is pretty exciting stuff because this is only the second time Bandai will have produced the Straw Hat Pirates in matching clothes, and only the second-ever figures of Nico Robin, Franky and Brook from Bandai! Bandai is starting the line off HUGE with its biggest cash cows in One Piece Z Luffy and Chopper, as well as the most physically huge character in the nine-figure series: One Piece Z Franky!

The most requested characters I heard that One Piece collectors wanted to see MegaHouse debut at MegaHobby Expo Spring 2013 this weekend were villains–specifically Buggy the Clown and Magellan. Well, MegaHouse did debut several villains, but none of them were Buggy or Magellan. Instead, three of the four villains MegaHouse showed off at MegaHobby Expo were new versions of old figures. The craziest and most unexpected of these was definitely the newest version of CP9’s Rob Lucci–the One Piece POP Leopard Form Lucci!

I was ignoring writing the all-important MegaHobby Expo Spring 2013 coverage yesterday (I’ll finish it up today, sorry) in order to attend a once-a-year event: Anime Boston, the biggest anime convention in my home state of Massachusetts! It was pouring rain and an altogether awful day outside yesterday, so I didn’t feel like doing my yearly Coby Marine outfit cosplay, but I still went to Anime Boston with high hopes for bringing home some great One Piece swag! I didn’t end up bringing much home at all, but I did see some pretty neat stuff…

Considering that this site is entitled “One Piece Z”, you might guess that I’m a pretty big fan of last year’s One Piece Film Z movie. And you would be right. As such, I’ve been dealing with the excruciatingly painful wait for MegaHouse to put out their One Piece Portrait of Pirates Edition Z movie figures. After seeing One Piece Z Chopper POP Edition-Z last November, he finally hit shelves last week. Nico Robin and Sanji are scheduled for the next few months, but then–nothing. But it’s MegaHobby Expo Spring 2013 to the rescue for One Piece Film Z fans: Luffy, Zoro, and Aokiji have all been shown and announced!